After a strong performance at the previous round in Schleiz, Australian Damian Cudlin headed to the 7^th round of the IDM Superbike Championship full of confidence and ready to advance in the championship standings.

The new Red Bull Ring venue seemed to immediately suit Cudlin and the Alpha Technik/ Van Zon/ Kraftwerk BMW and the team set an impressive pace in Friday’s opening practice sessions. An afternoon storm heavily affected Friday’s final practice session, however Cudlin felt confident with the bike’s performance in either weather condition.

Saturday’s opening qualifying session presented the first mechanical issue all season for Cudlin’s crew when a faulty radiator cap caused a 20 minute delay in the box. With limited time remaining, Cudlin set the 3^rd fastest time on just his 3^rd flying lap of the session before returning to the box. Unable to use his 2^nd qualifying tyre in the time remaining, Cudlin went on to improve his time in the hotter qualifying session in the afternoon but couldn’t improve his grid position for Sunday’s races.

“It’s a shame we lost some time in the opening qualifying session, but it’s the first time anything has gone wrong with the bike all year, so I really can’t complain” Cudlin explained. “Anywhere on the front row is a good place to start from so I’m looking forward to the races.”

Fantastic summer weather greeted the fans on Sunday as temperatures soared to 35 degrees. In the opening leg, Cudlin made a quick start and battled for 2nd with championship leader Bauer on the opening lap, as Ranseder set a frantic pace at the front. Unable to maintain the pace of the leading duo, Cudlin dropped behind but held 3^rd position for the first half of the race. With 8 laps to go, Cudlin felt a sudden drop in tyre performance and began to struggle with a lack of grip. Dropping down the field dramatically at the end, Cudlin could only manage 7^th at the finish; a whopping 20 seconds from the race winner, Ranseder.

“It’s a really disappointing result and it hasn’t done our championship any favors at all” Cudlin quipped at the end of the first race. “Our tyre choice was wrong and there was nothing I could for the last half of the race. It was just about survival at the end.”

Cudlin and his tight knit crew put their heads together for the second race and came up with another strategy that proved to be far more successful than the first.

Continue reading ‘Cudlin clings to podium at Red Bull Ring’

Australian racer Damian Cudlin has officially opened “The Convict Club” ahead of his favorite IDM race of the year at Schleiz this weekend.

Playing on his Australian family history, “The Convict Club” is a supporters club that offers members various benefits depending on the level of membership purchased. There are 3 levels of membership ranging from “First Offender” to “Re-Offender” and even “Life Sentence” membership. Members can even have their “Mug Shot” posted on Damian’s website to show their support!

“We wanted something different from every other Australian out there, so we dropped the Kangaroo and Koala as a mascot and came up with the Convict! When I worked at a petrol station years ago inEngland, my boss used to call me a Convict, so I think it fits perfectly.” Cudlin smiled. “We have a tight little fan base that’s growing stronger all the time and we just wanted to offer them something fun. The Convict Club gives members a chance to be a part of my racing career, represent at the race track and most importantly share a few laughs.”

For more details about “The Convict Club” visit Damian’s official website www.damiancudlin.com and navigate to the Convict Club page.